Steel cabinet



Dec. 20, 1955 w. R. sNlDER 2,727,800

STEEL CABINET Filed sept. 21, 1955 4 sheets-sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

W///M/ Q. JA//DEQ BY @www W. R. SNIDER STEEL CABINET Dec. 20, 1955 FiledSept. 2l, 1955 /3 f/ /3 /3 mm) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2c L2/ L25 IN VEN fOR.

WM L Q. SA//MQ Dec. 20, 1955 w. R. sNlDER 2,727,800

STEEL CABINET Filed Sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 20, 1955 w. R.sNlDER 2,727,800

STEEL CABINET Filed Sept. 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 aafmfmd UnitedStates p t t STEEL CABINET William R. Snider, Steubenville, Ohio,'assignor to Steel Service, Enc., Steubenville, Ohio, a corporation ofh10 Application September 21, 1953, Serial No. 381,345

2 Claims. (Cl. S12-255),

This invention relates to steel cabinets of the locker type, and, moreparticularly, is directed to improvements which facilitate theirassembly and provide a more rigid and pilier-proof construction.

Metal locker cabinets are commonly fabricated from sheet metal back andside panels which are secured together along their longitudinal edgesbyfastening elements, a front panel or frame having a door hinged thereonbeing secured along the longitudinal edges of the side panels at thefront thereof through which access to the cabinet is had. Cabinets ofthis type are not entirely satisfactory since the panels of which theyare constructed warp and sag in use and thismakes it dcult to maintaincabinets aligned with each other where the use of plural cabinets iscalledfor. In addition, the manner in which the longitudinaledges of thepanels are secured together by fastening elements `makes conventional.cabinet constructions subject to pilferage since unauthorized accessmay be had by springing the corners of the panels in the space betweenadjacent fastening elements.. Moreover, the large number of fasteningelements required for securing the panels together increases the timerequired for assembly of the cabinet and its ultimate cost ofproduction.

One. of the principal objects of this invention is to provide animproved metal locker cabinet which maybe assembled in less .time thanconventional cabinet structures and which provides a stronger and morerigid structure which is pilfer-proof.' To this end,.thc front and sidepanels as well as the door-bearingframe at the front of the cabinet areprovided with flanges along their longitudinal edges. which are engagedbya lengthwise sliding movement of the panels and frames relative toeach other to provide a tight interlocking connection which extendsalong the entire length of the panels `at each corner of the cabinet. Inamanner to be de-V scribed, the panel anges at each corner of thecabinet have-a U-shape and each ilange includes a lip as' one arm of itsU-shape which is received in the space between the arms of the U-shapedflange of the adjacent panel to which it is connected. In this manner,the panels are secured together along their entire length by a tight U-turn linkage or interlocking connection at the corners of the cabinetwhich makes pilferage by separation of the panels at the corners of thelocker practically impossible.

A further object of the invention is to provide an irnproved arrangementof locking mechanism for securing the cabinet door in closed position.This' mechanism comprises a handle operated channel mounted forslidingmovement longitudinally of the door which carries channel shaped detentsmovable longitudinally of the .mounting channel for operative engagementwith a stationary cam shaped latch carried by the door frame in suchmanner that the door may be closed and locked even though its handle isvheld against movement relative to the door" by the 'clasp of a lock.

222,727,801?2 Patented Dec. 20,

ICC

' come apparent from the following description.

In the drawings there is shown a preferred embodiment of' the invention.In this showing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of two metalcabinets constructed inaccordance with the principles of this invention, the door of one of thecabinets being removed to show its interior construction;

Fig.g2\is a top plan view of one of the cabinets shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontalv sectional view of one cabinet takensubstantially alongy the line IIL-III of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a back panel looking at "the vinner sidethereof, a portion of the panel being broken away centrally thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line V-V of Fig. 4,ar central portion being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a side panel looking from the outer sidethereof, the center portion of the panel being shown broken away;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the lineVII-VII of Fig. 6, the center portion of the panel being broken away;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the frame at the front of thecabinet, the door being omitted and parts of the frame being shownbroken away;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX of Fig. 8;

v Fig. l0 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the manner inwhich the interlocking connections at the corners of the cabinet aremade by sliding the panels longitudinally relative to each other;

`Fig. 1l Ais a diagrammatic view illustrating a modification adaptingthe principles of the invention to a cabinet construction formed ofplural tiers;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane XII- XII ofFig. l; and e Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are respectively sectional views takensubstantially in the plane of the lines XlII-XIIL XIV-XIV and XV-XV. f

In the above explanation ofthe drawings as well as in the followingdescription, `the terms inner and outer are used in a directional sensecorresponding respectively to the interior and exterior of the cabinet.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, two identical cabinets are shown in side byside relation, ,the door of one of the cabinets being removed to showthe interior thereof. Each of the cabinets comprises a back panel 1,side panels 2 and a door frame 3 at the front. Inthe finished cabinetthe frame k3 is provided with hinges 4 supporting a sheet metal door 5for pivotal movement to and from a'closed position with respect to thecabinet. In a manner to be described, the side panels 2 are providedwith an interlocking connection along the entire length of their rearedges 6 with the back panel and with a similar interlocking connectionalong the entire length of their front edges 7 with the frame 3. Afterassembly of the panels 1 and Z t of the interlocking connections alongthe edges 6 and 7,

openings 12 are provided at spaced intervals therethrough p for thereception of fastening elements (not shown) to connected. Each of theflanges 13 comprises a flange' arm 14 arranged normal to and integrallyconnected with the body of the panel 1 and a flange arm 15 connected tothe outer end of the arm 14 and its end 16 spaced from the inner surface17 of the panel 1. The flange arm 15 in effect constitutes a lip whichextends inwardly from the outer edge of the flange arm 14. The flangearms 14 and 1S are parallel and are spaced from each other to provide aspace 13 therebetween for a purpose to be described, the space 18 havinga depth slightly larger than the thickness of the metal from which thepanels 1 and 2 are formed. n

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the side panel 2 is shown as comprising aflatl metal sheet having .flanges 19 of U-shape extending along itslongitudinal edges. The open ends of the U-shaped flanges 19 open towardthe body of the panel 2. As best shown in Fig. 7, each of the flanges 19comprises a flange arm 2f) which forms an extension of the body of thepanel 2 at one edge thereof and which has its other flange arm 21extending inwardly from its outer edge in the form of a lip. The flangearms 2t) and 21 are parallel and spaced from each other to provide aspace 22 having a depth slightly greater than the thickness of the metalfrom which the panels 1 and 2 are formed for a purpose to be described.The panel 2 has an offset 2dat its point of connection with the inneredges of the flange arms 2i). The offsets 24 are provided so that thesurfaces 25 of the flange arms 21 lie in substantially the same plane asthe outer surface 26 of the center body portion of the panel 2. Thepurpose of the offsets v' 24- is to provide a smoother surface along theouter surface of the cabinet than would be had by omitting the offsets24. The offsets 24 also act as abutments preventing movement of theflanges 13 and other flanges on the frame 3 in a manner to be described.The inner edges 2." of the outer flange arms or lips 21 are spaced fromthe offsets 24 for a purpose to be described.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the frame 3 is shown as comprising spacedlongitudinally extending side members 3@ having transversely extendingbracing members 31 and 32 rigidly secured thereto at the top and bottom.The members 3% extend below the bottom member 32 to provide cabinetlegs. As shown in Fig. 9, each of the longitudinally extending memberscomprises a channel fabricated from sheet metal having its web 33positioned at the front of the cabinet and one of its channel arms 34positioned at the side of the cabinet. The inner end of each channel arm34 has an. in-turned lip or flange 55 which is parallel to and spacedfrom the body of the channel arm 34 to provide'a space 36 between theparts 3dand 35 which has a depth slightly larger than the thickness ofthe metal panels for a purpose to be described. The outer end of thechannel arm 34 and the in-turned lip 35 provide a U-shaped flange forthe members 30 in which the inner surface 37 of its bight is spaced fromthe inner surface 3S of the web 33 a distance approximately the same asthe width of the side panel flanges 21. The

each side panel on the inner surface of the cabinet, and the offset at24 places the center portion of the panel 2 substantially in the planeof the surface of the outer flange 14 connected with the back panel 1 sothat the outer surfaces of the cabinet sides are smooth oversubstantially their entire surface area. After assembly of both sidepanels 2 in this manner with respect to the back panel 1, the frame 3 isassembled in position by a sliding movement lengthwise with respect tothe upper edges of the side panels 2 to interlock the U-shaped flanges19 at the upper edges of the side panels with the U-shaped flanges 34-35on the frame 3. Assembly of the frame 3 is effected by sliding itschannel lips 35 into the spaces 22 between the flanges 20 and 21 at theupper edges of the side panels 2. The outer ends 4f) of the frameU-shaped channels have abutting engagement with the offsets 24 at theupper edges of the panels 2 as viewed in Fig. l0, and

p the offsets 24 place the surfaces of the frame flange arms 'cl-shapedflanges 3dr-35 open .toward the front of the cabinet and toward theplane of the frame 3.

The manner in which the side panels are assembled with respect to theback panel 1 and frame 3 is illustrated in Fig. l0. The assembly iseffected by laying the back panel 1 on a flat surface with its flanges13 projecting upwardly. The side panels 2 are then slid into positionwith the flanges v19 and 13 in, interlocking engagement by sliding thelip channel arms 25 through the spaces 18 between the flange arms 14 and15 of the channels 1 3, the outer ends of the flanges 19 extendingthrough the spaces between the ends 16 of the flanges- 15 and the innersurface 17 of the backpanel, This places, the flange 20 of- 34 insubstantially the same plane as the plane of the side panel outersurfaces 26.

While the above description of the assembly of the side panels 2 withrespect to the back panel 1 and frame 3 has proceeded on the basis thatthe panels 2 are first secured to the back panel 1, the assemblyprocedure may be reversed by placing the frame 3 facing downwardly on aflat surface and securing the side panels 2 to it rst and thereafterassembling the back panel 1 on the upper edges of the side panels.

The assembled position of the side panels 2 with respect to the panel 1and frame 3 is best shown in Fig. 3. From this showing, it will be notedthat the various U-shaped channels on the side and back panels and onthe door frame lhave interlocking engagement at the corners of thecabinet. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that theinterlocked U -shaped flanges 19 and 13 face in opposite directions withthe tips 16 of the flange lips 15 on the rear panel U-shaped flanges 13bottomed in the bights of the rear side panel flanges 19, and with thesimilar tips 27 of the flanges 19 bottomed in the bights of the U-shapedflanges 13. This feature securely holds the interlocked flanges 19 and13 against movement in one direction away from each other, andengagement of the outer ends of the flanges 13 and 19 respectively withthe offsets 24 and surfaces 17 prevent separating movement of theinterlocked flanges 19 and 13 in an opposite direction. In a similarmanner disengagement of the interlocked U-shaped flanges 34-35 on theframe 3 and the U-shaped flanges 19 on the side panels 2 by movement ina direction transversely to their longitudinal direction of slidingassembly movement is prevented. The flange arms or lips 25 and theirtips 27 bottom against the surfaces 37 and their outer ends engage withthe surfaces 33 to prevent pulling movement of the frame in an outwarddirection with respect to the side panels. While the frame flange arms35 do not bottom in the U-shaped flanges 19, movement of the frame in anopposite transverse direction toward the side panels is prevented byengagement of the surfaces `40 with the side panel offsets 24 at thefront edges thereof. The flanges 345-35 and interlocked flanges 19 onthe side panels also face in opposite directions.

After assembly of the frame and side and back panels in the mannerdescribed above, the top 8, a hat shelf 9,

and bottom 10 are secured in position by fastening elements (not shown)and are effective to prevent separation of the side and back panels andframe 3 by a lengthwise sliding movement. Although it is not necessaryto provide fastening elements through the interlocked sets of flanges 19and 13, and 19 and 3435 since such sliding movement will be prevented bythe parts 8, 9 and 10, the interlocked sets of vflanges are providedwith the relatively ew :sets of transversely extending openings 12 asshown :in Fig. l through which fastening elements may be inserted toprevent sliding disengagement of the cab- 55 inet panels and framepreliminary to mounting the parts 8,9and 10 in position. .i

In addition to facilitating the assembly of the cabinet, attention isdirected to the fact that the interlocked sets of anges at the cornersof the cabinet provide reinforcing columns which extend the entirelength of each vertical corner. This reinforcing feature vprovides arigid cabinet structure which will not sag or warp in use. Theinterlocked sets of llanges at the corners of the cabinet further cannotbe sprung apart by inserting a tool such as a screw driver and thusprovide `a cabinet Ystructure which is essentially pilfer-proof.

As was indicated above, the portions-of the frame side members 30extending below the bottom cross member 32 form the front legs of thecabinet. After assembly of the cabinet, rear legs 45 are attached to therear corners of the cabinet.

The cabinet structure described above is of the coat locker type havinga single door 5. It will of course be appreciated that the principles ofthis invention are equally adaptable to the construction of cabinets.providing locker boxes in which each cabinet unit 4has a plurality ofvertically spaced doors, it being only necessary to provide additionalshelves 9 and as many doors as there are spaces between the additionalshelves.

The principles of this invention arey also adaptable to the constructionof locker boxes arranged in plural tiers which have a common party wallbetween adjacent cabinets as illustrated in the diagrammatic showing ofFig. 11. In this showing, it will be noted that the end panels` 2 areconstructed as described above and the back panel is formed of pluralsections 1a with a party wall 2b connected to the point of connectionbetween adjacent panels or sections 1a. The front frame is formed insections 3c, the end ones of which are connected to the side panels 2 asdescribed above, and which have connections to the party walls 2b asillustrated.

The latching mechanism for holding the door in closed position is shownin Figs. 12 through 15. Before referring to these ligures, referencewill be made to Figs. 8 and 9 which show the manner in which the catchesor detents for latching engagement with the door carried latchingmechanism are mounted on the cabinet. In this showing, the catchesdesignated by the numeral 50 comprise metal brackets secured to theframe element 30 at the left of the cabinet which have a cam-shapedcatch element 51 spaced from the inner edge of the frame element 30 andprojecting toward the front of the cabinet. As shown in Fig. l the doorhas a handle 52 which is mounted for vertical movement with respect tothe door for operating a latching unit in a manner to be described.

Referring to Fig. l5, the door comprises a sheet metal face panel 53having a box ange 54 along its outer vertical edge at the left of thedoor 5 as viewed in Fig. l. The box flange 54 is L-shaped and comprisesan inwardly projecting llange arm 55 and a ange arm 56 positioned in aplane parallel to and spaced from the plane of the door panel 53. Thebox ange 54 forms an enclosure for a latch unit operated by the handle52. The latch unit comprises a U-shaped channel 57 which is mounted forvertical sliding movement in the box shaped ange 54. The channel 57comprises a web 58 having sliding engagement with the box flange arm 56and having arms 59 projecting forwardly toward the panel 53. As shown inFigs. 12 and 13, the handle 52 has inwardly projecting parts 60 whichextend through vertical slots 61 in the door panel 53 and are secured toone of the channel ilanges 59 by fastening elements 62. Movement of thehandle parts 60 in the slots 61 guides the vertical movement of thechannel 57 relative to the door. As a further guide for the verticalmovement of the channel 57, its web is provided with L-shaped slots 64respectively providing a horizontally extending opening 65 and avertical opening 66. The box flange arm 56 has lanced-out portions 67which project upwardly through the L-shaped slots 64. Prior toattachment of the handle, the U-slia'ped flange 57 is 'moved laterallyinto position to move the portions 65 of the L-shaped slots 64 laterallyover the lance projections 67 and is then moved downwardly so that thelance projections 67 are positioned within the vertical slots 66.Thereafter, the handle is attached and the movement of its parts 60 inthe slots 61 together with the movement of the lance projections 67 inthe slots 66 guide thevertical movement of the channel 57.

In positions directly opposite each of the catches 51, the channel 57mounts latches 70. Each of the latches 70 comprises a channel of U-shapemounted for vertical movement in the channel 57. Each latch channel 70comprises a web 71 having sliding engagement with theinner surface ofthe mounting channel web 58 and arms 72 which project forwardly towardbut terminate short of the door panel 53 as shown in Fig. l5. The sidesof the mounting channel llanges 59 have plural lanced projections 73which project inwardly over the outer ends of the latch channel arms 72and operate to hold the latch channel against the inner mounting channelweb 58.

As best shown in Fig. 14, the mounting channel web 58 has two upwardlyprojecting lanced projections 75 and 76 immediately below each latchingchannel 70. The upper lance projection 76 functions las a stop limitingdownward movement of the latch channel 70 relative to the mountingchannel 57, and the lower lance projection provides an attachment forone end of a spring 77 which has its other end connected to a lanceprojection 78 extending upwardly from the latch channel web 71, thespring 77 biasingthe movement of thelatch channel 70 downwardly to aposition engaged with the stop lance projection 76.

1 The door box llange arm 56 and the mounting channel web 58 areprovided with aligned openings 80 of rectangular shape which extendvertically and through which the catches or detents 51 are projectedwhen the door is moved to its closed position. The web of each latchchannel 70 is removed between the horizontal lines 81 and 82 (see Fig.14) to provide an opening through which the catch 51 is projected whenthe door is moved to its closed position. When the door is in its closedand latched position, the springs 77 hold the latch channels 70 in theirlowermost position, as shown in Fig. 14, with the upper edge 31 of eachlatch channel web 71 bottomed in a notch 85 of the catch S1 projectingthrough the opening defined in part by the line 81 thus latching thedoor in its closed position.

To open the door, the handle 52 must be elevated to raise the mountingchannel 57. Raising movement of the mounting channel 57 carries with itthe latching channels 70 to positions in which their lower edges 81occupy the relative position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 14.In this position, the bottom edge 81 will clear the upper edge of thecatch 51 and the door may be swung to its open position.

The door of course may be closed by raising the handle 52 so that thelower edges 81 will clear the latches 51 as the door moves to its closedposition. However, raising of the handle 52 in this manner is notnecessary. The gravitational weight of the parts of the latchingmechanism or a lock having its hasp extending through an opening 83 inthe handle 52 may hold the handle 52 and the latching mechanismconnected thereto in their lowermost position as shown in Fig. l2, andthe door can still be moved to its closed and latched position. As thedoor moves to its closed position, each channel latch edge 81 willstrike a sloping surface 86 on the catches 51 and be cammed thereby inan upward vdirection relative to the mounting channel 57 and operatinghandle 52, this upward movement being against the action of the biasingspring 77. As soon as the edges 81 move over the notches 85, the springs77 will pull the latching channels 70 to their lower position as shownby the solid lines in Fig. 14

7 latching the door in its closed position. It will be noted that thislatching operation is accomplished without any upward movement beingimparted to the handle 52 or the mounting channel 57 operated thereby.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred cmbodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that this is merely by way ofillustration, and that various changes and modications may be madetherein within the contemplation of the invention and under the scope ofthe following claims.

Iclaim:

1. A metal locker cabinet comprising spaced side walls, an end wallinterlocking with the side walls for the full length of the walls, adoor frame interlocking with each side wall for the full length of thewall and extending below the side walls to form the front legs of thecabinet, a cross bar on the door frame having a portion overlapping eachside wall, a bottom wall for the locker sup ported on the side walloverlapping portion of the door frame cross bar and secured to the sideand end walls, a cross bar on the door frame forming the top face of thedoor frame and provided with a top ange directed inwardly, ya top wallfor the cabinet having a front ilange disposed beneath the top cross bartop flange and sine flanges secured to the side walls, and rear legs forthe cabinet comprising a portion underlying the bottom wall ofthecabinet and a portion overlapping the cabinet end wall and securedthereto.

2. In a sectional metal locker, a front wall comprising spacedsubstantially channel shaped vertical members delining the width of thelocker and having the channel webs disposed transversely of the frontwall, re-entrant flanges on the outer legs of the channel shaped membersfor interlocking engagement with the locker side Walls,

the adjacent legs of the vchannels having opposing vertical flangesdening a door opening, a transverse member connecting the channel shapedmembers adjacent the lower ends thereof, saidtransverse member having avertically disposed web portion overlapping the webs of the verticalmembers and secured thereto, inwardly turned flanges at each side' ofthe web of the transverse member being disposed between adjacent flangesof the vertical members, the top ange of the transverse member extendingbeneath the inner opposing anges of the Vertical members to dene thebottom of the door opening and provide a support for the oor of thecabinet, a top transverse channel shaped member connecting the tops ofthe vertical channel shaped members and having a vertically disposed weboverlapping the web of the vertical members and horizontally disposedflanges extending between the vertical legs of vertical members, thebottom flange of the said transverse member having a downwardly disposedflange cooperating with the opposing anges on the vertical members todefine the top of the cabinet door opening.

` References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,397,269 Dodgel Nov. 15, 1921 1,450,180 Jamison Apr. 3, 1923 1,521,615Gerson Jan. 6, 1925 1,573,254 Lachaine Feb. 6, 1926 1,934,644 Rand Nov.7, 1933 1,975,613 Nystrom et al Oct. 2, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 214,818Great Britain May 1, 1924

